Tapping and refill-controlling device



Dec. 22, 1936. c. KARAGEORGIEFF I 2,065,373

'TAPPING' AND REFILL CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed March 21, 1935 Patented Dec. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE TAPPING AND REFILL-CONTROLLING DEVICE Christoph Karageorgiefi, Vienna, Austria Application March 21, 1935, Serial No. 12,278

In Austria March 29, 1934.-

8 Claims. (Cl. 277-24) I have filed applications in Austria on March 29,

1934 and on December 5, 1934.

This invention relates totapping and refilling devices equipped with controllable locking means, 5 for use on containers for marketable liquids, and more particularly on barrels, drums and the like. The known types of commercial barrels for marketable liquids such as for example gasoline, lubricating oil, edible oil, kerosene, or the like are as 10 a rule provided with two openings which are adapted to be closed by means of screw plugs and sealed as a precaution against being tampered with during transport and storage. All the known types of fluid containers of this description have -15 the disadvantage that there is no check on refilling. The containers in question are generally filled by the, producers or suppliers of the contents with a liquid of a certain definite and standard quality, for example lubricating oil or gasoline; now it is in the interests of the supplier to prevent dealers and others from filling such barrels or other containers, when empty, with poorer quality products, and deceiving the public by selling these as products of the recognized superior qualitydenoted by the marking or appearance of the containers. A further disadvantage resides in thefact that the barrels or other containe rs are loaned to the dealers free of charge by the producersof the marketable contents, and

@3 are generally retained by thedealers for an unconscionably long time, and are often damaged or exchanged beforebeing returned.

, The presentzinvention has for its object to obviate all'these drawbacks, and above all to prev. vent the possibility of barrels being refilled, after the sale of the original contents, with other products by unauthorized persons (more particularly dealers) fWith these and other objects in view, the pres- 40 ent invention provides a tapping and refilling deviceequipped with locking means, for use in connection withcontainers (more particularly barrels and the like), the essential feature of which consists [in the arrangement that the locking 45 means employed; (such as .a lock and the like) so control valves or the like elements disposed in the tapping and refilling ports that tapping, that is to, say; drawing oil? liquid from the container, is possible at any time without operation of the 50 locking means, while refilling of the container with liquid can only be eliected after the blocking of the refilling and tapping ports due to the appropriate setting of the valves has been cancelled by suitable actuation of the locking means. 55 Containers (casks) have indeed already become known having filling and tapping devices governed by locking mechanism. With these known devices, however, the lock must be unlocked and the cock placed in the open position both for drawing off liquid from the cask and also for refilling the cask with fresh liquid. The purpose of the present invention cannot be fulfilled by a device of this nature, since the dealer would also be required to have a key, in order to be in a position to undo the lock to open the cock for tapping purposes, in which case he is also in a position to refill the container when empty, which is precisely what is to be avoided by the present invention.

Forms of construction of the invention are shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows one form of construction in vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 shows a detail.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, l denotes the bottom or top, 2 the jacket, and 3 the intervening folded joint of a container (barrel) made of sheet metal or the like denoted by section lines. Let into the bottom I of the barrel there is a cock housing or outer portion 4 which is fixed in position for example by welding. The cock plug 5 is rotatably fitted in a known manner in this casing 4, and locked against unauthorized removal (withdrawal) by means of anut I screwed on to the inner end with the interposition of a ring 8 between this nut and the end face of the casing 4. The cock plug 5 is provided on the outside with a handle 9 which can be moved for example from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 into a horizontal position as shown in chaindotted lines in Fig. 3. In this manner the cock plug 5 is also rotated through approximately 90". A pin l0 limits the extent of this rotary movement of the cock plug 5. In the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the cock is open. The

ports 5 and 5 in the plug of the cock communicate with the port H in the casing 4. The passage I2 in the plug 5 of the cock communicates with the air vent pipe I. This latter is rigidly connected to the casing 4, and extends upwards in the container (barrel) as high as possible along the bottom I The passage l2 extends to the front up to the channel H5 in the casing 4. c a n l I6 is covered over on the outside by a flange I6 on the plug 5 of the cook. The port ll merges in an enlarged recess I! formed in an extension I8 on the casing 4. To this extension there is secured a disc 19 which serves to provide a seating for the flap valve 20. This flap valve is so arranged that liquid may flow out of the container without hindrance, while it is impossible to introduce liquid by the same path into the container as long as the valve is left to itself. The flap 20 thus acts as a nonreturn valve. In Figs. 1 and 2 this valve is shown in the lifted condition, in order to indicate the extent of its play or movement. Thus, in accordance with the principle indicated above, since the flap valve opens outwards, the liquid contained in the container (barrel), for instance lubricating oil, gasoline, or the like, can flow out through the recess l1 and ports H, 5, and 5 as indicated by the arrow :0, while at the same time air can enter the container through the passage l2 and the vent pipe M.

The valve 20, acting as a non-return valve, effectually closes its aperture in the valve seating I9 if an attempt is made, without actuation of the locking device to be described hereafter, to introduce liquid into the container by way of the ports 5*, 5 and II. In order to enable the container to be refilled, by an authorized person, there is provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, adjacent the tapping and refilling device a lock 6, for example a cylinder lock, which can be so operated, by means of a key 2|, that a pivoted cam lever 25, which is attached by means of an arm 24 to the rotary portion of the lock (in Fig. 2 the arm 24 and the cam lever 25 are shown in chain -dotted lines in the swung out inoperative position), is swung into tilting or lifting engagement with the stem 26 of the flap valve 20 (arrow pa in Fig. 2). The operative or engaged position of the arresting cam lever 25 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this position the cam lever 25 retains the flap valve 20 in the tilted or lifted position shown in Fig. 1, so that liquid can then be introduced into the container in the direction indicated by the arrow 112. The arm 24 is attached to the pin 23 which is packed in the casing by means of a stuffing box 13 (Fig. 5). To facilitate the engagement of the stem 26 and the tilting of the flap valve 20, the effective edge of the cam lever 25 is curved as shown at k (Fig. 4).

In accordance with the invention there is also provided for the air vent a valve 27 which is mounted on the pipe 14 (Fig. 1) by means of a clamp ring 28. The counterweight 29 retains the flap 21 constantly open when the container is in the position of use for tapping, but closes the flap so powerfully, when the barrel is stood up on its rear end, that this flap can not be opened by any possible fluid pressure prevailing in the container.

I claim:

1. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination an unobstructedly operable tapping unit, an obstructing member interposed in the outflow path of the said tapping unit and adapted normally to prevent inflow through the said tapping unit into the interior of the said container,

and controllable locking means for rendering temporarily inoperative the said obstructing member.

2. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination an unobstructedly operable tapping unit, an outwardly opening valve element interposed in the outflow path of the said tapping unit and adapted normally to prevent inflow through the said unit, and controllable locking means for rendering temporarily inoperative the said valve element.

3. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination an unobstructedly operable tapping unit, an outwardly opening, freely movable flap valve interposed in the outflow path of the said tapping unit and adapted normally to prevent inflow through said unit, and controllable locking means for rendering temporarily inoperative the said flap valve.

4. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination a tapping cock consisting of a casing and a fitted plug, ports in the said casing and plug adapted to be brought into and out of register by rotation of the said plug, an outwardly opening, freely movable flap valve interposed in the said casing port and adapted normally to prevent inflow through the said cock,

arresting means for rendering temporarily inoperative the said flap valve, and a lock asso ciated with and adapted to control the operation of the said means.

5. A tapping and refill-controlling device as claimed in claim 4 in which the said lock is a cylinder lock and is built into the said casing adjacent the said plug.

6. A tapping and refill-controlling device as claimed in claim 4 in which the port in the said plug is disposed axially thereof.

7. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination a tapping cock consisting of a casing, a fitted plug, ports in the said casing and plug adapted to be brought into and out of register by rotation of the said plug, and means for retaining the said plug against Withdrawal from the said casing, a flap valve interposed in the said casing port and adapted normally to prevent inflow through the said cook, a cam lever adapted to engage and to lift the said flap valve from its seating, and a lock associated with and adapted to control the operation of the said cam lever.

8. A tapping and refill-controlling device for a container of marketable liquid comprising in combination an unobstructedly operable tapping unit, a valve member interposed in the outflow path of the said tapping unit and adapted to prevent inflow through the said unit, an air passage in the said unit, a vent pipe adapted to communicate with the said passage and to extend upwards inside the said container, locking means for rendering temporarily inoperative the said valve member, and means for forming a secure and liquid-tight joint between the said device and container.

CHRISTOPH KARAGEORGIEFF. 

